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Author Topic: Combine: Laying worker and swarm  (Read 1506 times)

Offline psbeekeeper

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Combine: Laying worker and swarm
« on: September 11, 2011, 05:42:34 pm »
I have 1 hive that went queen and checked them today and found many eggs in the cell/on the side of cell (laying works, YAY!)  :).  If I combine them with a swarm using the newspaper method, do you think that will work? Does a laying worker hive even kill a queen-right hive (even if it may be a little weak)?

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Combine: Laying worker and swarm
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2011, 06:59:05 pm »
yes they  may.  it's better to either shake them out if you have more than one hive that they will split up and join, or put them over a queen-right hive for a couple of weeks with window screen between (give upper entrance to top hive).  you may be ok, but be sure to check carefully for eggs in a few days, or to spot the queen.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Combine: Laying worker and swarm
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2011, 10:38:01 pm »
It might work.  If you put a frame of eggs and open brood in the laying worker hive and do it a week later odds will greatly improve.  If you put a frame of eggs and open brood in every week for three weeks before doing it, it's pretty much a sure thing.

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Offline Caelansbees

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Re: Combine: Laying worker and swarm
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2012, 01:30:57 pm »
Mr bush, what are some signs of laying worker?
I requeened on june 16 with local queens. (had some mean ladies from GA, I'm in MD) one hive killed the queen and insisted on producing their own.  Tried to let them but now....  I have nectar stored everywhere and shotgun drone throughout.  Bees seem pretty content not overly excited as I would expect.  Queen, if there is one would be about 2 weeks old so I would expect to see eggs in a week or two. 

Would you think I have laying workers?  Do they sometimes appear while a queen is being made? Will they right themselves?  How if at all should I manage this?

Offline Sour Kraut

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Re: Combine: Laying worker and swarm
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2012, 02:33:56 pm »
I'd put the 'new swarm' hive on the bottom and the LW hive on top, screen board between for 3-4 days, then do the newspaper method of combining.

The odor from the queen in the swarm should stop the laying worker behavior, and you wil have much less chance of hte queen being killed by the LW workers

Just my $ 0.02, discussion welcome, thick skin here.

Gary

 

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